The present invention relates generally to systems for automatic storage and/or inspection of perishable and expendable items, such as food, medical supplies, and biological materials. More particularly, this invention pertains to intelligent sensors for use in automated inspection systems.
Conventional automated inspection systems continuously or periodically log data from sensors. That is, the inspection systems acquire data from all sensors or sensor monitors at a predetermined interval, and the sensors may continuously stream data to the inspection system for logging. This causes the inspection system to produce large volumes of data for storage by the system and utilizes communications link bandwidth for data that may not be necessary. Further, the continuous transmission or automatic transmission of data by the sensors increases power consumption by each sensor.